Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-14

The penalty for carrying arms has
c.uSed more homicides than it ever pre-
vented. Evil disposed persons, and gen
orally towards, will carry arms and rur
| the risk detection on account Of the
small penalty Law abiding and peaceable
/ people will respect the law, and do not
carry erms-hence they are always taken
at q disadvantage. Therefore, l recon-
mend the increase Of the penalty, and
| that it be made felony.
Since the late opinion of the appellate
court 1t becomes necessary to enact some
measure which will protect every species
OF property, real and personal, from will
! full injury.
! My experience in calls for aid to assist
i in recapturing escaped persons from the
jails leaves no doubt that very loose
system prevails in guarding prisoners, land
believe jgilors and sherIffS should be
held to a more strict accountability in the
discharge of their duty in this respect.
In another place | have alluded to the
fact that men should not be sent to the
penitentiary for short terms. l repeat.
that no greater legal fares was ever enact
ed than to condemn persons TO these con-
vict prisons for an hour or day, and the
.
A great number of technical rules have
grown up in the ministratiOn Of the
criminal law that subserve no beneficial
end; on the contrary they clog, retard,
and often defeat tie ends Of justice. That
8 court Of last resort should reverse i
case because the charge OF the Judge who
tried it was not marked filed, although II
the record and treated as the charge, or
because the venle-that is, the proper
county where the offenSe was committed
was not proved by the transcript, al
though no question was made about II,
are remarkable features of the law.
There are many others of like character
which all, including the courts, agree
should be changed or done awsy with.
These tecbDiCalities are cOllated in the
report of the Encouragement Tor 1885, 6
Copy OF which l herewith transmit, and
suggest legislation thereon.
Z The penalty in the enclosure act OF 1884
should be increased, and jurisdiction
given to some court that will enforce it.
| have never been able TO appreciate
that clause in our penal code which, de-
clares that insulting language used
toward another should not justify an
assault. That the coward shall be per
mitted to stand and heap abuse on his
neighbor, and feel that his government
shields him in so doing, is species Of
legal and political ethics which l do not
understand. That it is the rule for 4
state 20 make towards OF her people, snd
Justify system that tends to humiliate
ner citizens, is neither sanctioned by the
history of our race nor in keeping with
the intelligence Of our time. Insulting
language should be treated as an assault,
and the man who reserts it with blow
should be held as merely acting in self
defense, provided he does not intiict great
bodily harm or endanger life.
OUR INSANE AsYLUMS.
Within the last four years the state has
greatly enlarged the asylum for the insane
at Anstin. The grounds have also been
improved and beautiied. The place OF
interment, heretofore located in the park
fronting the buildings, has been changed
to a more suitable locality half mile
north of the structure, whittier the re-
mains of those formerly buried in the cid
graveyard have been removed.
Among the needed improvements lately
added to the asylum is complete system
Of sewerage, and l rejoice 10 say thats the
institution in its internal nisGagenient is
not surpassed in eacsllence in any coun-
try. L.am $50 pleased to state that the
heath reports are most gratifying.
.Within the same period of time we have
erected and completed new asylum at